Bringing Out the Dead Page #21

Frank looks:
the spike in Coates' hip starting to glow red.

CY stretches his hand toward the skyline, his face backlit

by raining acetylene sparks:

COATES (CONT'D)

Isn't it beautiful? When the fires

start to fall, then the strongest

rule it all. I love this city.

The torch breaks the spike free: Frank and Coates FREE FALL

three feet, jerk to a stop. Cy yelps. The crowd cheers from

below.

Frank now grabbing, holding Coates tightly--Frank's hands

the only thing keeping Coates from falling--as the cops hoist

them up.

COP:

(to Frank)

Good thing we buckled you in, huh?

COATES:

What about me? Who's supposed to

buckle me?

COP:

(to 2nd cop)

I thought you did.

2ND COP

I thought you did.

COP:

(to Coates)

I'm so sorry, sir.

The cops lift Frank and Coates onto the balcony.

CUT TO:

EXT. MERCY EMERGENCY--NIGHT

16 XRay parked in front.

CUT TO:

INT. MERCY CRITICAL CARE--NIGHT

Frank walking out of the restroom wiping water off his face,

looking at the gurney where Coates lies on his side, metal

spike still sticking through his hip, IV line running to his

arm, eyes closed. Nurses walk past Coates: he's stabilized,

waiting his turn. CY, take a number.

Frank spots Hazmat at Burke's cubicle, walks over.

HAZMAT:

Nurse Crupp, we're going to need

some Valium here. He's waking up

again.

The ventilator alarm goes off as Burke pulls at his

restraints.

HAZMAT (CONT'D)

(urgent)

Where's that Valium?

Nurse Crupp walks briskly over, injects needle into one of

Burke's IV bags.

Burke's voice speaks in Frank's head:

BURKE'S VOICE

Don't. Don't do it.

HAZMAT:

Give me a hand, Frank. I've got to

get something between those teeth.

Frank helps Hazmat force in a bite stick. The monitor alarm

cuts off, the ventilator starts up again, pumping air in,

pulling air out.

HAZMAT (CONT'D)

You can't believe how much he's

improved.

FRANK:

How many times have you shocked him

tonight?

HAZMAT:

Fourteen. We finally got him a room

upstairs. Should be up there in a

couple of hours.

FRANK:

What do you do, just have someone

follow him around with a defribilator?

HAZMAT:

(laughs)

That's good, Frank. No, but they

might surgically implant one, about

the size of my thumb. It goes near

the shoulder here, with two electrodes

connected to the heart. It sends a

shock whenever it senses a drop in

blood flow. Amazing, isn't it?

FRANK:

A medical miracle.

CUT TO:

INT. MERCY WAITING ROOM--NIGHT

Frank notices Mary Burke in waiting area with her brother,

mother and several others. Gone is the lost daughter, the

scared junkie. Tonight she's dressed for strength: leather

jacket, blue jeans, black work boots.

MARY:

Everyone, this is the medic who

brought my father in. Frank, these

are some of my father's friends.

Frank greets them.

FAMILY FRIEND:

We live out an the Island now, but

we used to live right down the block

from Pat. He was like a saint to us.

Came as soon as we heard.

FRANK:

(to Mary)

I'm going out for a smoke.

Mary whispers something to her mother, joins him.

CUT TO:

EXT. MERCY EMERGENCY--NIGHT

Frank offers her a cigarette. Walls waits in 16 XRay, now

parked at the curb.

MARY:

I heard CY Coates was brought in. He

looked pretty bad.

FRANK:

He'll be all right.

MARY:

Too bad. He called me up today, can

you believe that? I don't know how

he got my number. He asks me do I

want to come over and see him, I

tell him I'd rather go to a leper

colony. He says there's a new gang

that wants to kill him, take over

the business. I told him I hope he's

right. That they kill him. That's

what I told him.

FRANK:

It'll be a while before he's up and

running again.

MARY:

OK, last night I was weak. it won't

happen again. And all that sh*t I

said--it was just because I was

stoned. Forget it.

FRANK:

No problem. Thanks for letting me

crash. It was the best sleep I've

had in months. I used some of your

soap.

MARY:

I wish these people would leave

already. I can't listen to another

story. Did you see him?

(Frank doesn't answer)

That doctor says the brain is coming

around. They're waiting for the heart

to stabilize. I don't know who to

believe. He says they still have to

keep him tied up.

FRANK:

Can I bring you something back to

eat--a falafal, some pizza?

MARY:

No, we just ate. I only remember how

tough my father was. Now I know he

had to be like that, to make us tough.

This city'll kill you if you aren't

strong enough.

FRANK:

No, the city doesn't discriminate.

It gets everybody.

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